FAILURE TO CONNECT

I have purchased two rubber chickens in my lifetime – each given away as gifts. But what goes around comes around!

Finally! I have my own rubber chicken from a Yankee Swap our family had this past April Fools Day. Life is complete.

Back in my 30s I was drawn to New Games. There’s an organization based in Beverly, MA called Project Adventure – community and individual exploration and discovery through games – both those played on the ground for fun and high and low ropes. I’ve gone to workshops and led a low ropes course for YMCA summer camp many moons ago.

Somehow I feel camaraderie with the rubber chicken. It started when one time we were standing in a circle doing a name game. The facilitator pulled out various balls, scarves and the like, from his bag as we heard and chanted each other’s names. When he pulled the rubber chicken out and added it to the mix my face cracked into a smile. It felt like the grand finale to a fireworks display.

There was another encounter I recall when on ‘break’ from my low ropes groups. I headed over to high ropes and took the challenge of climbing to the top of a telephone pole (harnessed in, on belay) and lunged out into open air – to snatch a rubber chicken hanging from a cable.